Razorbacks need strong finish to host regional
FAYETTEVILLE — How the Arkansas Razorbacks finish the Southeastern Conference regular season against Texas A&M could determine where they start the NCAA regional postseason.
Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks, 37-14 overall and 16-10 in the SEC, appear in contention but not assured of hosting one of the 16-four team regionals beginning June 2. The series at A&M (35-18 15-12), and next week’s SEC tournament in Hoover, Ala., remain.
Arkansas and the Aggies play at 6:30 tonight and 6:30 Friday night on the Internet’s SECN+ and 11 a.m. Saturday on the SEC Network (Resort Channel 79).
With one SEC game rained out (at Tennessee), the Razorbacks start the weekend third in the West Division, a game and a half behind first-place LSU (18-9) and a half-game behind Mississippi State (17-10). LSU won two out of three from Arkansas while Mississippi State lost three straight to the Razorbacks, both in series at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville.
Rob Childress’ Aggies are slightly more long shots but still contending to be a regional host at 35-18 overall and 15-12 fourth in the SEC West.
“Probably if we won a couple of games (at College Station) that would really help us,” Van Horn replied to a question about his Hogs hosting. “If we don’t, we’ll have to do real well in the (SEC) tournament.”
There is conjecture that the SEC’s final regional host could pare to Arkansas or Mississippi State (Florida, 19-8 in the SEC and 38-14 overall, leads the East Division with Kentucky, 18-9 and 37-16, second).
“If we finish ahead of Mississippi State or a half game behind them, we beat them three times,” Van Horn said. “So it would probably come down to some other things, like how we do in the tournament or RPI (ratings power index)? The only thing we control is winning and losing.”
Van Horn has addressed the
reality that, of course, the Razorbacks want to host but also the folly of looking beyond their next game.
“I hope it’s not our last game here,” Van Horn said Sunday after the Razorbacks beat Vanderbilt two out of three at Baum Stadium. “It’s a great place to play. Our fans showed up again this year. Looks like 240,000 of them (officially 239,382 attended Arkansas’ home games). It would be awfully nice if we could host a regional here. Obviously I don’t want the players to get all worried about it. We’re just going to keep trying to win every inning we play and win games. We hope we’ll go down and take care of business at A&M and then in the tournament.”
Childress, in his 12th year as A&M’s head coach, served Van Horn as pitching coach when UA grad Van Horn coached at Texarkana College, Northwestern (La.) State and Nebraska. They’re apt to talk any of the 51 weeks of the year except this one until tonight’s pregame.
“We’ll be friends as long as we’re alive I feel like,” Van Horn said. “But when the (Arkansas vs. Texas A&M) weekend comes we don’t talk to each other a whole lot. He hasn’t called me, I haven’t called him, so we’ll probably see him on Thursday.”
The friends also are constant recruiting adversaries on prospects in Texas. Van Horn said that recruiting in Texas the Arkansas and A&M staffs butt heads “probably just about every one they get and we don’t and vice versa.”
Given the success of their tenures, both have fared well.
Former pitching coach Childress remains strong into pitching with the Aggies sporting a 3.22 team earned-run average.
Their SEC rotation starts three right-handers: Brigham Hill, 7-3, 2.92 with 88 strikeouts vs. 23 walks; Corbin Martin, 5-3, 3.12 and 66 strikeouts vs. 33 walks, and Stephen Kolek, 3-3, 3.46 and 68 strikeouts vs 19 walks.
Right-handed closer Mitchell Kilkenny (3-2, 3.18, with 44 strikeouts vs. 16 walks) has logged seven saves while lefty reliever Kaylor Chafin (7-1) has a 1.79 ERA with 56 strikeouts in
55 1-3 innings against 12 walks. Van Horn counters with right-handers. Trevor Stephan
(5-3, 3.21 and 93 strikeouts vs. 14 walks) starts tonight and sophomore Blaine Knight (6-4, 3.50 with 77 strikeouts vs. 16 walks) starts Friday.
Unless needed earlier in relief, Dominic Taccolini (4-0,
4.58), Sunday’s winning starter over Vanderbilt, starts Saturday morning.
Led by catcher Grant Koch,
13, first baseman Chad Spanberger, 11, and centerfielder Dominic Fletcher, 10, the Razorbacks have hit 66 home runs to A&M’s 41.
A&M, however, starts five hitters averaging .300, .303, .304,
.313 and .351. Second baseman Braden Shewmake, the .351 hitter, also leads the Aggies in home runs (nine) and RBI (61).